Dingo Solves Complex Problem, Moves Furniture to Reach Food

It looks like dingoes are smarter than we realized. A captive dingo has been caught on camera, displaying some interesting problem solving skills. It moved a table to use it as a stepping stool in order to reach some food.

The Australian Dingo Foundation observing dingoes at the Dingo Discovery and Research Centre in Toolern Vale, Victoria caught it on film. It was 2008, when a male dingo named Sterling was trying unsuccessfully to reach some food that was dangling from high on the wall of his cage. Jumping was no good because it was too high. Instead of giving up, he moved a table across the space and then stood on it. This got him the meal.

But that wasn’t all he can do. Once he also moved a plastic kennel to a different place in his cage and then sat on top; presumably to get a better view of his neighbors cages. It’s a great illustration of problem solving and makes us wonder what he will learn next.